Mechanical musical instrument



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

, A; H. HAMMOND. MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. No. 277,129. Patented May 8,1883.

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Mhzesses (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. H. HAMMOND.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. 'No. 277,129. Patented May 8 1883.

I llllll. 4 II M Mbesse's UNITED STATES PATENT Orr-Ion.

ANDREW H. HAMMOND, 0E WoRoESTER, MASSAoEUSETTS.

MECHANIC AL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 277,129, dated May 8, 1883. Application filed August 10, 1882. (No model.)

musical instruments wherein the operation of the sound-producing devices is controlled by a traveling music sheet, card, or tablet.

The object of'myimprovement is to provide for the use in such instruments of narrower music sheets, cards, or tablets than those which have heretofore generally been employed. It is very desirable to accomplish this, for, aside from the savingof material effected, the music sheet, card, or tablet is rendered superior, because it is less liable to contract, expand, or Warp, so as to interfere with its properly registering at all times with the devices on which it acts.

The improvement consists in the combination, in a mechanical musical instrument, of sound-producing devices, a rest, seat, or channel for a traveling music sheet, card, or tablet, and a number ofjaoks, fingers, or levers serving to effect the operation of the sound-producing devices, and arranged obliquely to the direction in which the traveling music sheet, card, or tablet travels over the rest, with their ends on which the music sheet, card, or tablet operates arranged in a row which is also oblique to the ret'erredto direction, whereby the ends of thejacks, fingers, or levers which extend over the said rest are brought so close together in the direction of the width of the said rest that the music sheet, card, or tablet may be very materially narrowed.

The improvement also consists in the combination, in a mechanical musical instrument, of a rest, seat, or channel for a traveling music sheet, card, or tablet, a number of sound-producin g devices arranged obliquely to the direction in which the music sheet, card, or tablet travels over the said rest, seat, or channel, and a number of jacks, fingers, or levers for effecting the operation of the sound-producing devices, also arranged obliquely to the said rest, seat, or channel.

The improvement also consists in the combination, in a mechanical musical instrument, of a rest, seat, or channel for a traveling music sheet, card, or tablet, a number of reeds arranged in reed-cells and at an angle to the direction in which the music sheet, card, or tab let travels over the said rest, seat, or channel, and a number of jacks, fingers, or levers for operating valves governing the passage of air through the reed-cells, and also arranged obliquely to the said rest, seat, or channel.

The improvement also consists in the combination, in a mechanical musical instrument, of a rest, seat, or channel for a traveling music sheet, card, or tablet, and a number of reeds arranged in reed-cells, having the line of their openings oblique to the direction in which the music sheet, card, or tablet travels over the rest, seat, or channel.

The improvement also consists in the combination, in a mechanical musical instrument, of sound-producing devices, a traveling music sheet, card, or tablet having the openings or other devices which are designed to effect the operation of sound-producing devices in any desired chord or combination simultaneously arranged in rows which extend obliquely to its length, a rest, seat, or channel for said music sheet, card, or tablet, and a number of jacks, fingers, or levers serving to effect the operation of sound-producing devices, and arranged obliquely to the direction in which the music sheet,card, or tablet travels over the rest, with their ends on which the music sheet, card, or tablet acts arranged in a row which is also oblique to the referred-to direction.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of a mechanical musical instrument embodying my improvement, and having the top removed. Fig. 2 is an end view thereof,aportion of the case being removed to expose the interior; and Fig. 3 is a section of the upper part of the same, taken obliquely to the length and parallel with the reed-cells and the jacks, fingers, or levers, as indicated by the dotted line 00 w in Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A designates the case of the instrument. It maybe made of wood orany other suitable material, and of any appropriate design. As shown, it com prises a cover, A, which is hinged to one side and fastened by a catch at the other side. The cover will preferablyhave a shutter, a, which may be opened more or less forproducing a swell, or to afford a view of the interior of the instrument without opening the cover.

B designates a reed-board, made of a taper form, and arranged lengthwise of the instrument. It is mounted on a wind-chest, W. Reeds b are arranged in cells in this reedboard in the usual manner. These reed-cells communicate with the wind-chest V, and at the outer end they are furnished with valves 0, whereby the passage of the air through them is governed. In this instance suction-bellows O are employed to induce air through the reedcells, and the valves 0 govern the ingress of air to the cells. Preferably an equalizer or receiver, 1), will be employed, in conjunction with the bellows U, to maintain as uniform a pressure as is possible. A port inthe blockV establishes communication between the windchest and the equalizer. The larger or bass reeds are arranged in cells located at the wider end of the reed-board, and the others, in accordance with their sizes, are successively arranged in cells nearer to the narrow end.

E designates a rest, seat, or channel for a traveling music sheet, card, or tablet, extending lengthwise of the instrument.

F designates a number of jacks, fingers, or levers which are preferably made of brass or other metal, so that they can be as narrow as possible, and yet sufficiently stron They are pivoted between their ends to a bar, Gr. At the inner end they extend under the valves 0 of the reed-cells and at the outer end they extend over the rest F. Springs :1 act upon them so asto impel their outer ends down into a groove, 0, extending obliquely to the length of the rest, and cause their inner ends to open the valves 0. The bar G has afiixed to its ends arms G, which are connected by hinges f to fixed supports; hence the said bar and the jacks, fingers, or levers F may be aised and swung up away from the rest when desirable for introducingthe music card or tablet, or 0th erwise. A spring-catch, g, serves to secure the bar down in its normal position.

It will be observed that the reed-cells, as also thejacks,fingers, or levers F, are arranged obliquely to the length of the rest, seat, or channel E. Owing to this arrangement, the jacks, fingers, or levers may be located at sufficient distances apart to correspond with the reed-cells, and yet their outer ends, which extend over the rest, seat, or channel,wi1l be so close together in the direction of the width of the rest that a very narrow music sheet, card, or tablet may be used to control their action. The levers, fingers, or jacks are arranged with their ends on which the music sheet, card, or tablet acts in a row which is oblique to the length of the rest, seat, or channel. The music-sheet which I preferably employ is made of paper, and perforated,as shown. XVhenever its perforations arrive opposite the outer ends of thejacks, fingers, or levers the latter pass downward through the same into the groove e of the rest, seat, or channel, and the inner ends open the valves 0. Although the outer ends of the jacks, fingers, or levers are so close together in the direction of the width of the rest, seat, or channel, they are not arranged side by side, but in a line or row extending obliquely to the length of the rest, seat, or channel. The perforations ot' the music-sheet are of course arranged in rows extending at corresponding angles to the rest, seat, or channel, in order that the proper operation of the reeds shall be secured.

The music sheet is fed along by a shaft or roller, H, extending across the rest, seat, or channel E, and a roller, I, mounted in bearings attached to the .cover A and serving to hold the music-sheet against the shaft with a yielding pressure. The shaft may be covered with india-rubber in order to prevent it from slipping on the music-sheet, and it is provided with a hand-crank, 7t, whereby it may be driven. As shown, two bellows, O, are employed, one being arranged immediately below the rest, seat, or channel, and the other at the side of the former. The movable boards of these bellows are operated alternately by means of cranks i on the shaft H, and links or rodsj, extending between them and the cranks. The crank 17, which operates the bellows which are located under the rest, is arranged oil at one side of the rest, and the link or rodj, which connects these bellows to said crank, is offset, bent, or made to extend laterally from these bellows to the crank. Owing to this arrange ment, the crank and pitm an are prevented from obtruding themselves in the line of feed of the music-sheet.

If preferable, I may weight or make the jacks, levers, or fingers heavier at the outer ends, in lieu of using springs for impelling them downward. In lieu of a perforated musicsheet, I mayemploy a music card or tablet having projections for actuating the jacks, fingers, or levers; but in such case the valves 0 will either have to be adapted to operate in the re verse direction or the jacks, fingers, or levers will need to be made to operate on them differently, so that they will then be opened when the outer ends ot the levers are raised instead of when said ends are depressed. I may provide the outer ends of the jacks, fingers, or levers with pins or nose-pieces made separate from them, and secured to them for impinging on the music sheet, card, or tablet.

.WhatI claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of sound-producing devices, a rest, seat, or channel for a traveling music sheet, card, or tablet, and a number of j acks, fingers, or levers serving to effect the operation of the sound-producing devices, arranged obliquely to the direction in which the music sheet, card, or

liquely to the direction in which the music sheet, card, or tablet travels over the said rest, seat, or channel, and a number of jacks, fingers, or levers for effecting the operation of the sound producing devices, also arranged obliquely to the said rest, seat, or channel, substantially as specified.

3. In a mechanical musical instrument, the

' combination of a rest, seat, or channel for a sage of air through the reed-cells, and arranged obliquely to the said rest, seat, or channel, substantially as specified.

4. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of a rest, seat, or channel for a traveling music sheet, card, or tablet, and a number of reeds arranged in reed-cells having the line of their openings oblique to the direction in which the music sheet, card, or tablet travels over the rest, seat, or channel, substantially as specified.

5. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination ofsound-producingdevices,atraveling music sheet, card, or tablet having the openings or other devices which are designed to effect the operation of sound-producing devices in any desired chords or combinations simultaneously arranged in rows which extend obliquely toits length, a rest, seat, or channel for the said music sheet, card, or tablet, and a number of j acks, fingers, or levers serving to effect the operation of said sound-producing devices, and arranged obliquely to the direction in which the music sheet, card, or tablet travels over the rest, with their ends on which the music sheet, card, or tablet operates arranged in a row which is also oblique to the referred-to direction, substantially as specified.

A. H. HAMMOND.

YVitnesses:

ISAAC D. GOUDLING, LEWIS G. CLARK. 

